‘It’s all about keeping tourists safe’: section of China’s Great Wall fenced with wire after being paved with cement

A section of the Great Wall in northeastern China will be fenced off for the safety of tourists, after local authorities sparked controversy by “repairing” it with cement recently.

Dozens of villagers were tasked to transfer concrete posts and spools of wire mesh from the foot of the mountain on Monday to fence off sections of the Great Wall in Suizhou county, Liaoning province, news portal Thepaper.cn reported.

The first step of the project is to dig holes for the posts, and wire mesh will be installed after the concrete posts settle, the report said.

Liu Chunhua, the deputy director of the cultural relics bureau of Suizhong county, told the website it was the bureau’s responsibility to ensure tourists’ safety and prevent them from climbing unsafe areas.

He did not comment on any effects the project might have on the cultural value of the area.